Columns

It has been a whirlwind the last couple of weeks in the Chamber world.
We have recently moved into our new office, on the second floor of the City Clerk’s new building.
Moving is never fun, but we survived and are absolutely in love with our new location. Many have asked if they have to come all the way up the stairs to see us. Not at all.
Just pop into the City offices (Check out our new gift shop while you’re there) and have them buzz us. We will happily come to you.

People my age or older often catch ourselves wishing for things as they used to be.
At the risk of sounding trite, those days of the past are ‘water over the dam,’ ‘water under the bridge,’ or any of several other sayings that reflect some sense of longing for simpler times.
Let’s be realistic, however, those days are in the past and, though they might be remembered, they will never be relived.

One afternoon in May 1918, my 12-year-old grandfather was walking home from school in Louisville when he encountered a man from his neighborhood.
Run home fast, the man said, your father’s dead.
With this abrupt message, my grandfather sprinted home, tears streaming down his face. His father had died from “edema of the lungs,” which was brought about by complications from influenza.

Receiving the Commonwealth’s two-year, multi-billion dollar budget plan from our colleagues in the House highlighted one of our busiest weeks yet in the Senate as we reached the two-thirds point of the 2018 Session of the Kentucky General Assembly. Hundreds of visitors from all corners of Kentucky packed committee hearings and rallied for important causes in a week that saw no shortage of legislative activity.

Now that I’ve had a glimpse of warmer weather and sunshine, spring fever has set in. If you are feeling the same, you need to join us this weekend for the Downtown Spring Open Houses.
Participating downtown merchants will be staying open later on Friday night till 7 p.m. and Saturday afternoon till at least 3 p.m. for the spring open houses. Businesses will be offering their new spring merchandise, some with specials and sales.

The first daffodil in my yard bloomed Feb. 25. What I wonder about this early visit, is it a promise of an early spring or just a confused bulb? I don’t really know why, there have been worse winters, but this one has managed to sink into my bones and dull my senses.
As I write this I hear the persistent drum of rain on my patio room tin roof, a great sound in August, not so much in February.

While several critical bills have moved through the House, the past week was largely driven by one item: pensions.
Senate Bill 1 has been filed, and is the result of ongoing work over the better part of the last year to save the pension systems and protect the retirement of our teachers, law enforcement and other state workers.
This measure puts Kentucky on track to eliminate the unfunded liability and ensures that a good retirement is available for all current and future employees.

I have heard and read all the hype about guns and the need for legislation. I have seen the Facebook posts that declare that “Guns don’t kill, people do.”
What’s the answer to gun violence?
I grew up around guns. My dad and grandfather made certain that my brother and I had a healthy respect for all weapons.
We learned how to shoot with accuracy. How to secure a weapon, break it down and clean it.
Now, 40 years later and not having spent much time since around weapons, some of those lessons might be a little stale.

After weeks of anticipation and months of discussions and meetings with stakeholders, the Kentucky Senate Majority Caucus filed its comprehensive pension reform bill as Senate Bill (SB) 1 on Tuesday, Feb. 20.
While SB 1 marked the filing of one of the most significant pieces of legislation of the 2018 Session, we continued to hold committee meetings and voted bills out of the Senate chamber, making for another busy week in Frankfort.